Chapter 6
The Vault Of Terrible Secrets
The steel door swung open with a rusty groan, revealing a pitch-black staircase leading deep into the earth beneath the estate.
I pulled out my phone, turning on the flashlight beam and casting a sharp white light down into the narrow, dank corridor.
The air inside smelled of stagnant water, decaying paper, and something chemical that made my throat burn with every breath.
We descended the wet stone steps, our footprints leaving clear marks in the thick layer of dust covering the floor.
At the bottom of the stairs sat a large, windowless stone chamber containing three filing cabinets, a wooden desk, and a heavy iron safe.
Sitting atop the desk was an antique leather journal stamped with the golden seal of the United States Department of Justice.
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Beside the journal lay a series of medical reports bearing the official letterhead of Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital from thirty years ago.
Clara reached out, her fingers trembling as she opened the first folder, revealing a photograph of a woman who looked identical to her.
